Sweet Easter Treats...

 

  

 

 

source:  Food Network

The kids and I have big plans to make a batch of these sweet Easter treats to take to a lunch that we've been invited to this weekend.  My sweet friend, Tracey, has the kindest family, and they often include us in their holiday meals.  I'm scheduled to take a salad, but showing up with a salad and these seem like so.much.more.fun!!!

Ring Around The Rosey...

There isn't anything sweeter than watching your baby learn something for the first time...

Linking up with Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday and Steady Mom's 30 minute Challenge

Contemplating Christ...

Source:  Our back yard~

Yesterday was Palm Sunday, which marks the beginning of Holy week for Christians around the world.  It is when we remember and  honor what Jesus Christ has done on our behalf.  I spent the weekend with our college girls, and it was a time filled with young women acknowledging God's work in their lives through the broken places in each of them.  As we all shared our lives with one another this weekend, it became clear that every single one of us struggled to put our brokenness out on the table for all to see.  We all want to seem put together don't we?  It's so hard to admit our great need for help...so incredibly hard to admit to our insecurities, our shortcomings, but, it's in the admission of our need for help, that the brokenness is made whole.  It is in those places that Christ's power is perfected in us and through us.  


It is a privilege to have ushered in Holy week with these young women this weekend.  God was faithful to show me my great need for him in an area of my life.  I am thankful for these weaknesses because it proves to me over and over my need for Him.  This week I will contemplate his death for me, and I will wait in anticipation for Easter Sunday when I can celebrate his resurrection.  The same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, and we can celebrate knowing that his power is perfected in the broken areas of our lives.


My Grace is sufficient for you; for my power is made perfect in weakness.  2 Corinthians 12:9

Fabulous Give Aways!

Two of my favorite blogs are hosting a fabulous give away!  Visit their blogs and enter to win!~

Dusty Lu is giving away a Rachel Ashwell design book!!!  These pictures are from a recent trip to Rachel Ashwell's store in Santa Monica that Dusty Lu had the pleasure of visiting.  I'm dying to start a collection of some of these books that everyone in blogland keeps talking about....and I'm a little embarrassed that I've not known about them for years!

Maria from Dreamy Whites is hosting another wonderful give away to one blessed reader!  She is giving away one queen size duvet cover from Annette Tatum's Home Collection!!!


Head over and check both of these out and enter for your chance to win...

Winter Park Drive By...

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is absolutely one of my favorite things to do on a Saturday morning...I love to drive over to Winter Park and capture beautiful homes to file away in my idea book.  Obviously, I love these homes because of the ivy growing on them.  I think it gives them an old-world character that I'd love to emulate on a future home one day.  

Have a wonderful weekend.  I hope there's a bounty of sunshine wherever you are.  I'm heading to a retreat with our college girls this afternoon.  I look forward to having a front row seat in their lives this weekend...they're some amazing young women!

Easter Eye Candy...

Sources:  Country Living & Martha Stewart 

Speaking of Easter Eye Candy....Reese's Pieces Peanut Butter Pastel Eggs are going to be the death of me.  Thanks Tracey for introducing me to them...I think I'll repay you by buying up a couple of bags just for you. *smile*

Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...

Sugar and Spice and all things nice; that's what little girls are made of...

 

 

source: Posh Tots

Snips and Snails and puppy dog tails; that's what little boys are made of...

Now, for some "real life" nurseries for inspiration...

source:  Holly Mathis Interiors

 

 

source:  RHoneydesign

 

Source:  Our home in Georgia

This is the only picture of one of my nurseries that I could find...we came home from China with our daughter Lydia in December 2007, and we realized we were moving to Orlando about 3 months later.  I was able to capture this picture right before we moved, but her built in bookshelves are mostly empty because everything had already been packed up.  This room is proof that you can decorate on a budget and end up with something that you love.  The bed was borrowed from a friend, the rug is from the Pottery Barn Outlet, the lamp and baskets are from Target, the bedding and window treatments were made with love by my mother in law, the prints on either side of the window are from Kelly Rightsell, the plates  are all from Tj Maxx, and the chair was found at a thrift store and then slipcovered and monogrammed by a sweet lady in my hometown, who happens to be a fabulous seamstress.

**This post was lovingly done for Ashley, who is expecting her first child.  This should help give you some ideas for what to do in little peanut's room!

Priceless Moments...

tutu from target= $9.99

The look on her face when I bought it for her= priceless.

...nothing better than a child with a grateful heart.

Linking up with Emily from Chatting at the Sky 

and Steady Mom's 30 minute challenge 

and Darcy's Sweet Shot Tuesday.

****Give Away****

Faded Prairie is having a fabulous give away!!!!

Aren't they Beautiful?  Go check out her beautiful blog 

and enter a chance to win one of these beauties!

Weekend Recap...

  

 

Such a wonderful weekend with family and friends...there was soccer practice, flower picking, a date night, garage sales, and Winter Park fun.

Speaking of Garage Sales...would you know that I got up at the crack of dawn to meet my friend Tracey from 7294 Cottage Way so that we could set out in search of some fabulous deals, and we only found one worthy of our stop!  We were both so in shock that we decided to treat ourselves to a morning in Winter Park!!  As grateful as we were for the couple of things that we found, we were way more thrilled to spend the morning perusing all of our favorite shops in our most favorite place in Orlando.  Needless to say, we loved every single minute of our time in Pottery Barn and we walked away with a wish list about a mile long.  We ended up sharing some wonderfully delicious food at Panera Bread Co.  The weather was perfect and the company was even better!